On Monday, September 7, Cricket Australia announced its squad for the three-match Test tour to South Africa, which is scheduled to start on October 9 in Durban. Notably, the three-match Test series will be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
It’s also important to note that this will be the first time the teams will meet since last year’s WTC final at Lord’s. Interestingly, the under-fire batter Marnus Labuschagne has retained his spot in the Test squad.
Further, Travis Head, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, and Cooper Connolly form the core of the batting unit. On the other hand, three new players have been added to the squad that missed out on the recent series at home against Bangladesh, with Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Michael Neser being the new additions.
“This is a reasonably condensed three-game series, on the back of six one-day internationals, with only short breaks between each game,” Chair of Selectors George Bailey said.
“The squad provides balance and options for each Test and the variety of conditions we may face,” he added.
Australia is in the top spot on the World Test Championship (WTC 2025-27) standings, with reigning champions South Africa in second. The first Test begins on October 9 in Durban before the series moves to Gqeberha and ends in Cape Town.
The series will mark the first time Australia’s Test side has returned to South Africa since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering saga.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
SA vs AUS Test series schedule:
First Test: October 9-13, Durban
Second Test: October 18-22, Gqeberha
Third Test: October 27-31, Johannesburg
